Combined burial casket and vault



Aug'.v 27, 1946. w. E WQODY 2,406,522

COMBINED BURIAL GASKET AND VAULT Filed May '7, 1945 a '7 fa;

1417 Z5 2517 Zal mm@ ./-70/0, g5@ MM Patented Aug. 2.7,- 1946 Y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 f A2,406,522 l COMBINED BURIAL GASKET AND vAULT f William E. Woay, columbia, M0.

Application May 7, 1945, serial Ne. 592,456

1 Claim. l

My invention relates to improvements in com-E bined burial caskets and vaults.

One ofthe objects ofmy invention is the provision of a novel combined burial casket and vault, which utilizes a portion of a burial casket for supporting a vault cover, thus eliminating a separate basal support for the vault cover.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a novel combined burial casket and vault of the kind described, which is simple, strong, dur-V able, not likely to get out of order, which is easily assembled for interment purposes, relatively cheap in construction, and efficient in its operation. l

The novel features of my invention are hereinafter fully described and claimed. A

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates the preferred embodiment of. my invention,

Fig. 1 is a reduced perspective View of my improved burial casket.

v Fig'. 2 is a reduced perspective view ofthe assembled combined casket and burial vault embodying my improvements.

Fig. 3 is a reduced plan View of the burial casket with the lid removed.

Fig. 4 is a reduced under proved vault cover.

Fig. 5 is 4an enlarged vertical cross sectional View, partly broken away, of my improved combined burial casket and vault in its "fully assembled condition, on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged end View of my improved combined burial casket and vault.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal sectional view taken on the plane of the line 1-1 of Fig. 6. v

Fig. 8 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View of a portion of the vault cover, taken on the plane of the line `tlf- 8 of Fig. 6, showing one of the end brackets locked to the vault cover by the adjacent hand hold.

Fig. 9 is a further enlarged vertical sectional view of what is shown in Fig. 8, showing the hand hold and one of the adjacent end brackets, in solid lines in their release positions, and in dotted plan view of my im-l lines in their locked positions.

Fig. 10 is a side view of one of the end hand holds, removed.

Similar characters of reference designate similar parts in the different views.

The burial casket comprises a box-like body having vertical side walls I, end walls 2, a closed bottom 3, an open top adapted to be closed by a lid 4, which is removable.

The casket body has a supporting base portion comprising, as shown, a peripheral flange 5 which extends outwardly and downwardly from where the side walls I and end walls 2 join with the outer edges of the bottom 3. The ange 5, as shown in Fig. 5` and Fig. 7, curves downwardly and then upwardly to form a continuous groove 6 in its upper side that extends around the body of the casket.' The flange 5 then'extends outwardly and downwardly from the groove `6, with its supportingv lower edge disposed in a horizontal plane. For lifting and carrying the casket, there are provided at opposite sides thereof two hand holds comprising, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, two longi tudinal parallel cylindrical hand rails 1 respectively parallel with and spaced from the side walls I.

Each hand rail I extends through and is snugly iitted incylindrical holes 8 in a plurality ofver-A tical brackets 9, three, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, adjacent to the'. upper ends thereof. The lower ends of the brackets 9 are removably fastened to the upper side of the base portion ange 5 at the outer side of the groove 6, Fig. 5. As shown in Fig. 5, the lower end of each bracket 9 is provided With a vertical threaded hole in whichv is fitted the threaded upper end of a screw I0, which extends upwardly through a vertical hole in the flange 5, ,thehead of the screw bearing against the under side of the ange 5.

The vault cover comprises an inverted boxlike structure with an open bottom, vertical sides II and vertical ends I2 and a closed top I3. The

vault cover has dimensions such that it will receive therein the sides I, ends 2 and lid :4 of the casket, that is the sides il are longer and higher than the vsides I and the ends I2 are wider and higher than the ends 2. These dimensions are such` that the sides lII and ends I2 at their lower ends will fit in the continuous groove 6 in the upper side of the flange 5, the sides II being spaced from the hand rails or hand holds l, as shown in Figs. 2, 5, 6 and 7.

For releasa-bly fastening the vault cover to the base liange 5 of the casket, the lower edge of each wall II and I2 is provided with a downwardly-extending projection I4 having through it a transverse slot I5. The projections I4 are respectively extended through vertical slots I5 through the flange '5 in the groove 6.

When the vault cover is mounted on the casket, with its sides Il and ends I 2 in the groove 6, the projections I4 will extend below the under side of the ange 5. Removable fastening devices, shown .as G shaped clips I'I, are inserted f Y opposite sides of portions V.23

V- permits the through the slots I respectively, as shown in Figs. 5 rand 7, thus locking the vault cover in I8 are similarly-fastenedto the endsI2 of the in Fig. 9, and the brackets with vaultcover, so that a description of'one will suffice for both Vfastening means.

Two parallel, vertical hollow brackets I9, rece y tangular in cross section, havingeach in its inner wall a vertical row of slots 2i! adapted to receive Y respectively through. them a vertical row of out-k wardly and downwardly extending projections? if' Vj y 4 y and vault,an additional supporting-basal struc-V adapted to embrace the inner wall'of the vadjacent bracket .I and hold it against the end wall i2 of the vault cover.

' In thehorizo'ntal plane of the upper slot 2e, each bracket I e are respectively provided with alined holes 22, adapted to have rotatably-fitted in them one endof a hand rail I8, the other end of which is rotatably fitted in the holes 22 in the adjacent bracket IS, Figs; 2,

5, 6,77, 8, 9 and 10.

The end portions of the hand rail I8, as shown in Fig. l0, are reduced and are provided'on their peripheries, spaced from their ends, Awith flattened on the same side,'see Figs, 9 and l0, which flatv portions are respectively disposed within the brackets I9. 1 In attaching the brackets I9 to an Vend wall I2 of the vault cover, a hand rail I8 has its ends mounted in the holes 22, withthe flat portions 23 verticallydisposed, as shown in Fig. 9.V This Y upper projections Y2l to Venter the 'brackets through the upper slots 26, and the lower projections ZI to pass through Ythe adjacent slots 253, as shown in solid lines in Fig. 9.

The brackets I9 kmay' thenbe raised-to `the position shown indottedlines in Fig. 9. The hand rail'IS is lthen turned inthe ho1'es'22, -to

. position upwardly facing the iiat portions 23, as

shown in dotted lines inFig. 9 and in solid lines in Fig.. 8. 4In this position, the end peripheries er1-.hehehe rail le will be over and against the V`upper sides of the top projections 2l, thus lockin g the two-brackets I9 to the 'end wall vI2 of the vault cover. V`When so positioned, andthe vault cover is placed in operative coveringposition on the casket rail 5, the lower ends of the brackets It, which are curved, fit on the upper side of the fia-nge '5, as shown in Figs. 2 and '7. v

Y In aburial operation, after the body has been placed in the casket, and the lid 4 placed on the casketbody, as shown in Fig. V1, the vault cover is lifted bythe hand rails I8 and positioned with its Walls/disposed in the groove 6 in the upper side of the casket flange 5,- and the projections I4 extended through the slots I6 in the groove 6. The clips Il are then inserted through the slots I5, locking the vault cover to the casket flange ti. The hand rails I8 may then, if desired, be turned to the release position, shown in solid lines said handrails removed from the vault cover. The side hand rails 'I on the casket, may be employed for lifting and carrying the combined casket and vault for interment.

When ready for interment, the side hand rails l and their supporting brackets ISI may be removed, if desired, by removing the screws I0 Vfrom, the brackets 9.

tureto carry the casket and vault cover may be eliminated, together with the extra expense of providing such. p f

It will also be notedY that the casket and vault cover'rnay be made of any suitable material impervious to water, and that the air contained in the vault cover, when the latter is in its operative covering position, prevents entrance of water to the interior of the casket, and forms an hermetical seal without use of calking.

Many modifications of my invention, within the scope or" the appended claim, maybe made without departing from the'spiritof my invention.

What I claim is: l v

Means for lifting andcarrying one end of a vault cover, comprising, in combination, the vault cover having an end wall provided 'on its outer side with two vertical rows of outwardly and downwardly extending projections, two .vertical hollow bracketsrectangular in ing each through its inner wall a vertical row of slots adapted to receive respectively therethrough said projections the downwardly extendingl portions of which'rare adapted to tively two alined holes, and a horizontal hand rail having reduced end portions respectively rotatably ttedn said two holes, said end portions being provided onthe same side with flattened portions respectively disposed in said Vbrackets,

and when disposed vertically permit the projecbe noted that, with cross section, havv engagethe innerwall of the adjacentv one'of said brackets,` each of said brackets having in opposite sides respec- 

